It has been known for some time, at least on theoretical grounds, that high quality Si—Ge—Sn alloy systems will possess very interesting material properties, especially when implemented in infrared (IR) devices (such as detectors, sensors or modulators). This knowledge has prompted extensive experimental efforts to develop techniques to manufacture (e.g., grow) such alloy compounds. However, historically, the resulting quality of such alloy materials has not been sufficiently high (e.g., due to lattice mismatch between materials, among other factors) so as to allow for effective use of such alloys in device applications (e.g., in infrared devices). Therefore, alternative methods for manufacturing such Si—Ge—Sn alloy systems are desirable.
The foregoing discussion of the related art and limitations related therewith is intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.